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Strategic investments will add to further
development of the traditional brewer
The beer production in the Central Bohemian
brewery Velke Popovice exceeded 1 200 000 hectolitres. This success comes
exactly 130 years after the founding of the brewery. The first batch of 60
hectolitres was brewed in Velke Popovice on the 15th of December 1874. The
stable growth of the production under the strictest quality standards is
mirroring the increasing demand for the beer brewed in Velke Popovice: the
Velkopopovicky Kozel brand belongs amogst the most popular brands in the
Czech Republic as well as abroad.
Jaroslav Gubis, manager of the Velke
Popovice brewery, says: „We have invested 120 million Crowns into further
capacity increase in the past years. We have built – for the first time in
the brewery’s history – cylindrical-conical tanks for fermentation, new
systems for yeast preparation and new machinery for malt grinding and wort
cooling. We are further prepared to invest several millions of crowns into
further increase of the total capacity of the brewery, which will further
increase the quality of production, so that it fulfils the strictest
quality standards. We have already started a major refurbishment of the
sewage disposal plant for 60 millions crowns. We are also planning to
increase the capacity of the brew house up to 12 brews a day, as well as
increasing the fermentation and lagering capacity and filling flexibility.
We aren’t of course forgetting our employees and visitors to the brewery.
We will build central changing rooms with bathrooms and the main yard of
the brewery will be changed into a park during the spring next year.”
The further developments of the Velke Popovice
brewery is determined by the ideal location of the brewery that allows for
easy distribution throughout the Czech Republic and Europe, as well as
steadily increasing of the popularity of Velkopopovicky Kozel brand. Steve
Woodward, the managing director of Plzensky Prazdroj, emphasizes that:
“SABMiller, the mother company of the brewery, sees the Velkopopovicky
Kozel as a brand with international potential. The extremely successful
licence production in Slovakia and Poland as well as steadily rising
export of the brand could serve as an evidence.”
Notes to the editor:
- Velke Popovice brewery was founded by baron at his land Frantisek
Ringhoffer, one of the biggest Czech entrepreneurs from the times of
industrial revolution. According to his business philosophy, the brewery
was always modernised and was growing dynamically – it was the 3rd
biggest brewery in Czechoslovakia between the two world wars.
- Velke Popovice brewery is a part of Plzensky Prazdroj today. It is
one of the major employers in the region – including the sales-distribution
centre and the warehouses it employs 260 people. It is actively
cooperating with the town of Velke Popovice on social, cultural,
educational and leisure projects. The Day of the Goat, traditional
annual celebration in the brewery is very popular amongst locals and
visitors from the whole of Czech Republic.
- Velkopopovicky Kozel brand, the product of the brewery, is very
popular and according to the latest marketing researches it belongs
amongst the three best known beer brands in the Czech Republic. This
year was extremely successful for Velkopopovicky Kozel – it was awarded
six different prizes in the Czech Republic and abroad: Gold and Silver
Medals at the World Beer Cup in the USA, Gold Medal at the Australian
International Beer Awards in Sydney, and two bronze medals in the Czech
Beer Of the Year 2004 Awards and The Dark Beer of the Year title.
1) Beer production in Velke Popovice brewery – statistics:
1999 642 552 hl
2000 748 733 hl
2001 939 819 hl
2002 1 115 292 hl
2003 1 085 660 hl
2004 1 240 000 hl
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